Thruxton a highlight of the 2014 Cooper Tires British F3 Championship

Thursday 14 August 2014

The Cooper Tires British Formula 3 Championship returns to Thruxton – a circuit known for action-packed racing – for this weekend’s fifth meeting of the 2014 season.

The Hampshire circuit will again see the next generation of F1 drivers battle it out on one of the country’s most challenging circuits, proving they have got what it takes to rise through the ranks to match the ability of the sport's greatest stars. Thruxton is the fastest circuit in the UK with its legendary high speed corners, and it is also one of the longest at 2.356 miles.

F3 cars are capable of speeds in excess of 160mph, and they look and handle like an F1 car so expect the racing to be exciting and close as Matt Rao and the Fortec Motorsport team aim to extend their championship lead.

Meanwhile, Double R heads to Thruxton off the back of a sensational run at Spa-Francorchamps last month where Spanish driver Roberto Merhi, making a one-off appearance in order to qualify for the end-of-year Macau F3 Grand Prix, claimed the squad’s first wins of 2014 with a double victory.

Making this race meeting even more exciting, Formula Ford race winner Max Marshall will reunite with his former colleagues at Double R Racing, making his competitive debut in the Cooper Tires British Formula 3 Championship.

Marshall is currently third in the Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain and heads into his F3 debut on a real high after securing his maiden outright victory at Snetterton. Piloting the Mercedes-powered Dallara F312 which has been raced to four podiums this season by Macanese driver Andy Chang, Marshall will team-up with Double R regular Camren Kaminsky. First year F3 racer Kaminsky, who is fifth in the championship, heads to Thruxton with a best result of fourth place under his belt so far, but did lead impressively at Snetterton in June. Only contact from a rival prevented the American from claiming a podium at the very least. Thruxton is certainly shaping up to be a highlight of the British F3 2014 season. Drivers, teams and fans alike will be pleased to see the return of the super-fast Andover track.

Cooper Tire Motorsport General Manager, Paul Coates, said, “Thruxton is one of the longest and fastest circuits here in the UK, at 2.356 miles. The track layout results in exceptionally high average speeds and puts the tyres under higher sustained loads. These can cause huge tyre temperatures. However, our Cooper tyres have been developed with the more demanding nature of this circuit in mind. Cooper collectively has over 30 years’ experience in British F3, with its Avon Tyres brand having previously been sole tyre supplier to the series for 27 years before Cooper Tire took over as sponsor and supplier in 2009.”
Qualifying for British F3 at Thruxton will get underway at 10:10hrs on Saturday 16 August, with the opening race of the weekend following at 15:05hrs. On Sunday, 17 August, races two and three will take place at 12:30hrs and 15:50hrs respectively.